1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an apparatus for enabling signal distribution in a household and/or business dwelling, and to a method for enabling effective user control of such an apparatus via one or more remote control devices.
2. Background Information
Today there are several different broadcast systems including satellite, cable, terrestrial and internet broadcast systems. In a satellite broadcast system, for example, a satellite receives signals representing audio, video, and/or data information from an earth-based transmitter. The satellite amplifies and rebroadcasts these signals to a plurality of receivers, located at the dwellings of consumers, via transponders operating at specified frequencies and having given bandwidths. Such a system includes an uplink transmitting portion (i.e., earth to satellite), an earth-orbiting satellite receiving and transmitting unit, and a downlink portion (i.e., satellite to earth) including one or more receivers located at the dwellings of consumers.
For dwellings which receive signals via systems such as a satellite broadcast system, the distribution of received signals in the dwelling can be a difficult proposition. For example, many existing dwellings are equipped with coaxial cable such as RG-59 type coaxial cable, which is not readily conducive for distributing certain signals such as satellite broadcast signals. One reason that coaxial cable such as RG-59 is not used to distribute certain signals in a dwelling is that the coaxial cable may use a portion of the frequency spectrum that is different than the frequencies occupied by the signals to be distributed. For example, signals such as satellite broadcast signals may occupy a portion of the frequency spectrum (e.g., greater than 1 GHz) which is higher than the signal frequencies that can be readily distributed over coaxial cable such as RG-59 and its associated signal splitters and/or repeaters (e.g., less than 860 MHz). Another reason coaxial cable such as RG-59 is not used to distribute such signals in a dwelling is that the coaxial cable may already be used for distributing cable or terrestrial broadcast signals. Accordingly, it may be difficult for signals such as satellite broadcast signals to co-exist with cable broadcast signals on the coaxial cable given its limited bandwidth.
Heretofore, the issue of distributing signals such as satellite, cable, terrestrial and internet broadcast signals in a dwelling has not been adequately addressed. Accordingly, there is a need for an apparatus for enabling signal distribution in a household and/or business dwelling, and for a method for enabling effective user control of such an apparatus via one or more remote control devices. The present invention addresses these and/or other issues.